A Taste of Islam: A Six-Week Introduction to the Religion of Muslims

Thursday evenings, February 10 - March 17, 2011

5:15 - 6:30 pm

NEW LOCATION!! 

The Movie Experience: SLO Center Downtown Theater (888 Marsh Street - down the stairs from Barnes & Noble)

Taught by: Stephen R. Lloyd-Moffett, Ph.D Cal Poly Religious Studies.; The Rev. Jane E. Voigts, SLO United Methodist Church; Rushdi Abdul-Cader, M.D., Mosque of the Nasreen

Lectures & Book Study (Reza Aslan's No god but God), plus good food and beloved community!

Class is free and open to the public. Books can be purchased for $10 at the first class or online at Amazon, etc.

Questions? Contact Rev. Voits at (805) 543-7580 or pastor@sloumc.com

This series is sponsored by:

Congregation Beth David; Mosque of the Nasreen; Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church; St. Andrew's Greek Orthodox Church and San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church

 

Fall Quarter, 2010

"Chumash Spirituality: From the Ancestors to the Present"

Joe Talaugon, Elder, Chumash Tribe

Thursday 2 December, 11:00 am

Building 26, Room 106

Joe Talaugon, Elder in the Chumash Tribe and Founder of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts and Education Center, will discuss Chumash spirituality historically and the role it continues to play today. All are welcome.

RELS Fall BBQ & Movie Night:

Monsieur Ibrahim

Thursday, 30 September, 5:30 pm

Dr. Lloyd-Moffett's house

We will enjoy a dinner, play some fun RELS games, and then watch Monsieur Ibrahim, a film set in Paris that includes an aging Muslim Turk, a little Jewish boy, and, according to the movie blurb on Netflix, "kindly local prostitutes"! What more could one want in a film? We will provide burgers (both veggie & meat), dessert, & drinks; if people want to bring salads or other sides, that would be great. 

Please RSVP to Dr. Lloyd-Moffett by MONDAY 27 September so we know how much food to prepare.

FALL CAMPING TRIP

CPT Does the Sierra Foothils

Friday 15 October - Saturday 16 October

We will meet in the morning of Friday October 15th and drive to Fresno to catch the Friday prayers at one of the biggest mosques in California. We will then either visit the Hindu temple or the Sikh Gudawar before ascending to Sequoia State park to camp (or possible Hume Lake). On Saturday, we plan to visit the Orthodox Nunnery of the Life Giving Springs. We should be back by late afternoon. If you haven't been on a CPT camping trip, they are a lot of fun. 

More details to follow.

Please RSVP to Dr. Kuhn for this event.

Recent Events

Spring Quarter 2010

Spring Quarter Movie Night:

An Audience of One and Fall From Grace

Sunday, 18 April, 6:30 pm

Dr. Lloyd-Moffett's house

An Audience of One is a documentary about a Pentecostal minister who receives a a vision from God to create an epic Sci-Fi film based on Biblical stories - and the journey of faith & trials that follows him as he attempts to make the movie.

"Fall from Grace" is about Rev. Fred Phelps, the Westboro Baptist Church, those who oppose the church, and those who chose to leave it all behind.

But the real reason to attend, as ever, is the opportunity to try one of Fiona Lloyd-Moffett's world-famous (well, maybe just SLO-famous...for now!) brownies.

So please RSVP to Dr. Lloyd-Moffett to ensure enough brownies for all!

WGS/RELS WomenPriest Speaker Series: Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether

"Should Women Want Women Priests, or Woman Church?"

Thursday, 22 April, 6:30 pm

Philips Hall

Groundbreaking Christian feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether expands the question of whether or not women should be ordained as priests in the Catholic Church to explore what impact women priests might have, and whether or not women's ordination would actually lead to greater gender equality in the Church. She ultimately argues that the addition of a few women into the established hierarchy may not create enough change.

Ruether is the author of numerous books and over one hundred articles on Christianity. Her talk is part of a speaker series on women's ordination in Catholicism presented by the Women's & Gender Studies Department and the Religious Studies program. This event is free and open to the public. For more information or promotional materials, please contact Dr. Devin Kuhn: dkuhn@calpoly.edu, (805) 756-2811.

WGS/RELS WomenPriest Speaker Series: Bishop Olivia Doko

"A Bridge to the Future in a Shaken Church"

Tuesday, 11 May, 8:00 pm

Philips Hall

Oliiva Doko, an ordained Bishop in the WomenPriest movement, explains the model of ministry practiced by Roman Catholic WomenPriests as they work with various church groups to build a "renewed and non-clericalist church." Doko will also share highlights of her personal journey as part of a community lviing this model of ministry.

In addition to being an ordained Bishop in the Roman Catholic WomenPriest Movement, Doko has an MA in Theology and is a Benedictine Oblate. She is also the founder of Olive Tree Ministries. Her talk is part of a speaker series on women's ordination in Catholicism presented by the Women's & Gender Studies Department and the Religious Studies program. This event is free and open to the public. For more information or promotional materials, please contact Dr. Devin Kuhn: dkuhn@calpoly.edu, (805) 756-2811.

Spring Quarter Camping Trip: Cal Poly Theisms Does the American Riviera

Friday 7 May - Saturday 8 May

Santa Barbara's nickname is the American Riviera--filled with beautiful coastline, beautiful people, and beautiful homes--and some interesting religious sites.

Next weekend, Friday May 7th- Saturday May 8th, CP Religious Studies will soak it up. We won't be staying with Oprah or stopping by Neverland, but we will see a lot of interesting things. Here is the itinerary:

Friday May 7
1. Noon: Leave SLO; you may want to drop off your stuff at our campsite at El Capitan.
2. 2PM: Tour of the Church of Scientology and discussion with one of the leaders.
3. 4PM: Tour of Vedanta Temple in the hills of Montecito, a stunning monastery in the hills overlooking the ocean dedicated to the vision of the Hindu gurus Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. The nuns will show us around, then we will sit down for a discussion with them, then at 6PM join them for a
vespers service.
4. 7PM: Dinner at La Super Rica, one of the most famous taco stands in the world and really good Mexican food.
5. 8PM: Settle in at our camp at El Capitan, one of the most famous camp sites on the Riviera. It is right next to the ocean. We will have a camp fire, smores, and then fall asleep listening to the waves.

Saturday May 8
6. 8AM: Leave camp, having packed up camp and head to Sunburst Community in Buellton 
7. 8:30: Join the Sunburst Community (an intentional community grounded ultimately in the teachings of Parahamsa Yogananda) for silent meditation.
8. 9AM: Breakfast at Sunburst, then tour of the facilities, followed by a hike in the hills.
9. 11AM: Return to SLO
10: Noon: Arrive back at Cal Poly.

Also, if you want to extend your experience, another club that Dr. Lloyd-Moffett advises, theOrthodox Christian Fellowship, is going to St. Barbara's Orthodox monastery near Ojai on Saturday. We will help the nuns at the monastery and then join them for dinner and a vigil.

We will share all the costs but there won't be many--probably about $20 for camping, smores, and breakfast per person. Let us know if you have tents, sleeping bags, etc...

And of course, we will be snipe-hunting.

We will need you to fill out University Release Forms and we do need you to RSVP as soon as possible. Please RSVP to Dr. Kuhn or Dr. Lloyd-Moffett.

Religion & Food Night: Egypt

Thursday 13 May, 6:30 pm

Dr. Lloyd-Moffett's house

Dr. Faysal Kolkailah and Miranda Battenburg will speak about their experiences being born and raised Muslim and Coptic, respectively, in Egypt.

This is a potluck-style event: try your hand at Egyptian cooking!

Please RSVP to Dr. Lloyd-Moffett for this event.

 

Rev. Helen Carroll, "UU and You"

Thursday 20 May, 11:00 am, Building 26, Room 103

Unitarian Universalists may not share a common creed or a common belief about God or this world, but they share a common spiritual search. Find out what unifies this group of Unitarian Universalists. Our speaker, Rev. Helen Carroll, has been minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Luis Obispo County since August, 2001. She is committed to the social justice work and was one of two UU ministers on the Marriage Equality Caravan in 2004. About being a Unitarian Universalist, Rev. Carroll says, "We don't tell you what to believe or think or feel, we will encourage you to explore in meaningful ways what it means to be human in the 21st century and what it means to bring our minds and hearts and hands to the work of making this a better world."

Dr. Lisa Molin, "A Baha'i New World: The Global Vision of the Baha'i Faith"

Thursday 27 May, 11:00 am, Building 8, Room 123

There are over six million Baha'i in over two hundred countries in the world. At the core of Baha'i is the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of huamnkind. This talk will discuss the history and spiritual teachings of the Bah'i faith and the application of its social teachings to current world affairs.

 

Winter Quarter 2010

Winter Quarter Movie Night:

Baraka Bingo & RELS Soundtrack Release Party

Thursday, 14 January, 6:30 pm

Dr. Lloyd-Moffett's house

Baraka is a tour of world with a religious bent. Baraka is an ancient Sufi word, which can be translated as "a blessing, or as the breath, or essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds." It is perhaps the most visually stunning film ever created on film. There are so many religious images that we will play "Baraka Bingo" for prizes--just identify which religions are presented in the movie, fill in your card, and the first with BINGO and BLACKOUT will win a prize. 

Please RSVP to Dr. Lloyd-Moffett for the movie night, directions to his house, and to receive a copy of the 2010 RELS Soundtrack

RELS Soundtrack Release Party

You've taken the classes...you've seen the movies...you've visited the monasteries...but have you hear the soundtrack?

Drs. Kuhn and Lloyd-Moffett are putting together a soundtrack to go together with Religious Studies 2010. If you have ideas, please let us know. It will go to those who RSVP for the Winter Movie Night.

Religion & Food Night: Sikhism

Thursday, 28 January, 7:00 pm

Join us for an evening of Punjabi & Indian food, and a conversation with members of the local Sikh community. Details to follow.

Please RSVP to Dr. Kuhn for this event.

Fall Quarter Camping Trip

Friday, 16 October - Saturday 17 October

New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur

More information to follow. To sign-up for the camping trip, please email Dr. Kuhn or Dr. Lloyd-Moffett.

Fall BBQ & Movie Night

Thursday, 1 Oct., Dr. Lloyd-Moffett's house

Movie TBD - if you have a suggestion, you should join us for the CPT Planning Meeting!

***Please be sure to RSVP to Dr. Lloyd-Moffett if you will be attending this event.

Cal Poly Theisms Planning Meeting

Tuesday, 29 Sept 

11:10 Backstage Pizza 

We will be selecting club officers, planning speakers for lectures and movies for our quarterly Movie Night, and otherwise planning events for Fall Quarter. Do you want more talks on tantra? Field trips to Timbuktu? Then come join us and let us know! All are welcome.